For the first time in 7 weeks, I am alone in the house

It is odd but awesome. I’ve been feeling that “we’re almost done” edginess lately, so I could tell we were getting ThisClose on the remodel project. You know how you can be all calm and patient the whole year, and then suddenly during that final week of a job, or school, or big project, the end just CANNOT come soon enough? Yeah, that’s where I am right now.

Anyhow, today marks the end of week 7 in remodel land, and the kitchen is now usable. Usable!!!! So dang excited.

We jumped the gun a little bit and had Mother’s Day brunch using the new range (raspberry chocolate chip pancakes and thick-cut bacon). Still using plastic plates and forks, but hey that range and TubaDad’s new griddle pan performed like champs:

The cabinet-makers came out this week and adjusted all doors, added quiet-close hinge covers, finished final trim and touch-ups, drilled knob holes (but not handle holes since I was still waffling), added glass in the display and bar doors, and caulked. Apparently I didn’t take a single picture that day.

The electricians came back with their rig and installed the big island light.

And the painter worked his magic on the kitchen, the downstairs bathroom, the laundry room (which had been kind of ripped apart for the new pocket door), and all downstairs ceilings (which had been cut into and repaired for electrical wires and lighting and range hood venting). It’s funny, I never thought the ceilings were dark before (although they drove TubaDad crazy), but the new Swiss Coffee color looks so much brighter and cleaner (this pic was halfway through, so you can see both the old and new ceiling colors):

As of yesterday at 5pm, the kitchen still looked like this (and we could not get into it or get to my purse, which I had stashed in one of the cupboards):

TubaDad and Ree had to remove a little leftover painter’s tape last night. Now that’s some good teamwork:

So here it is this morning, ready for knobs/handles (hence all the blue tape), the backsplash under the window (as soon as the bullnose edging comes in), some heavy lifting to move everything back in, and some decoration.

Yay! And whew! This next week is the fun part.